Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Today I’m sharing an inside look at the making of my
sizzling contemporary romance, A Deceptive Match.

A Deceptive Match is a full length novel set in the world of
professional wrestling. Wrestling has always been a part of my life, so it was
only natural that one day I’d write a book with wrestling as the backdrop. But
this book is different from all of my other books because the entire story came
to me in a rather unusual way—in a dream.

One morning I woke up and said “Uh-oh!” and grabbed the pen
and paper next to the bed. (I keep it there in case of inspiration.) I knew
that if I didn’t immediately start writing down everything in my head, it would
be lost forever. So I sat there, furiously scribbling the outline. At this
point, it was just the bare bones of the plot and the characters, but I knew I
was onto something.

Over the course of the day, more bits and pieces came through.
Now I had a subplot, secondary characters, and knew more about what was
happening in this wrestling romance that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I
was fortunate enough to actually “see” the book in my head like a movie—some
scenes were missing, but I had a clear picture to work from.

People who have read the book and know about my love of
wrestling always ask me the same questions: Which wrestlers are the characters
based on? How do you know all this stuff? How much of it is real?

It’s easier to answer the second question first. Many years
ago, I was fortunate enough to be on friendly terms with a bunch of wrestlers.
My husband and I would go to matches and hang out with the guys after the
shows. (No, I wasn’t a ring rat.) I picked up a lot of terms and got a real
feel for what they did and how they experienced life on the road.

At the time, the thought of being a writer never even
crossed my mind, so I had no idea that one day I’d use what I learned in a
book. When I got the idea for A Deceptive
Match, I was able to incorporate much of what I knew into the plot through
Danni’s point of view.

The male characters in the book (Vinnie, Ev, Thorn, and
Nick) aren’t based on any one wrestler or any real person. I specifically made
sure that Vinnie and the others aren’t
linked to real wrestlers, because it would take away from the story. Like
characters in any book, I invented whatever quirks, flaws, and backstory I needed
to help move the plot along.

And how much of it is real? Well, anyone who knows anything
about wrestling can tell you that it’s technically termed “sports
entertainment” for a reason. But that doesn’t discredit all the training, hard
work, and other sacrifices the wrestlers go through every day. A Deceptive Match touches on the subject
of what’s “real” and what goes on behind the scenes that most fans are unaware
of.

Here’s the book summary:

A Deceptive Match

Falling for the wrestler she had been assigned to
interview wasn’t part of Danni’s plan, until Vinnie Valentine pinned her heart
in a flash.

Disgruntled with her job as the office assistant for a national sports
magazine, Danni Stone impersonates a reporter to prove herself to her boss. Her
assignment? Spend thirty days on the road with Vinnie Valentine, a sexy
professional wrestler.

Life isn’t going well for the Heavyweight Champ. Vinnie is struggling with a
manipulative boss, prepping for the most important match of his career, and
feuding with his arch-enemy, Thorn. The last thing he needs is a nosy reporter
following him around—even if she is hot.

Thrown together in close quarters, Danni can’t help falling for Vinnie, and she
unwittingly becomes a key player in his title match. Their mutual attraction
grows, and late one night, they give in to the lustful feelings they’ve been
fighting.

As their relationship deepens, Danni considers telling
Vinnie her secret. But before she can
confess the truth, Vinnie discovers she isn’t the reporter she claims to be.
Her lie threatens to ruin everything between them. Will their relationship be
destroyed by her deception or will their love win out?

***

I enjoyed creating the characters in this wrestling
universe, and as I was writing, I fell in love with Everett, Vinnie’s best
friend. I knew I had to tell Ev’s story and give him his own book, so I wrote A Secret Match. That book is all about
Everett, but Danni and Vinnie play supporting roles in the storyline. Although
the books are connected, they each stand alone as individual reads.

I hope romance fans and wrestling fans alike will check out A Deceptive Match and A Secret Match. They’re a good blend of
action, drama, romance, humor, and spicy love scenes.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Today I’m sharing an inside look back at
the making of the Royal Desires Series.
This trilogy of historical/fantasy romances is made up of A Most Unusual Princess, A Most Intriguing Temptation, and A
Most Unfortunate Prince.
Together, they are a fun series, but each story stands alone as a separate
read.Why? Because when I
wrote A Most Unusual Princess, I
never knew I was writing a trilogy.

I’ve been asked how I
plotted the series. Did I use note cards to keep track of each character’s
description? Did I make an overall outline of the whole trilogy, and then write
each book?

Nope. The truth is… I
just wrote the story that was in my head. I didn’t intend to write a trilogy—it
kinda happened on its own. (With a lot of typing on my part, of course!) I
wrote each book by itself, with its own setting and theme, apart from the book that
came before. So, although they share characters, each book can be read apart
from the others.

A
Most Unusual Princess is a sensual novella about unruly
and willful Princess Elara, and Dalton, the handsome (and incredibly patient)
guard tasked with protecting her while she searches for a suitable husband. The
book is a unique blend of comedy, human drama, and romance. It’s also the
first fantasy romance I ever wrote—and it was a lot of fun.

I liked the idea of
following a very headstrong and spoiled Princess Elara as she looked for a
husband. From the outset, we learn that Elara
is an opinionated young woman who is used to getting her own way. When Dalton
innocently catches Elara doing something very unladylike, the Dalton-Elara
love/hate/love relationship is born.

I enjoyed writing Dalton and Elara’s
story and fell in love with them. I never expected I’d visit these characters
again, but not long after completing A
Most Unusual Princess, I knew Dalton needed his own book, so I wrote A Most Intriguing Temptation.

A Most Intriguing Temptationfocuses on the theme of fidelity. Elara wants to test Dalton’s
loyalty, so she masquerades as a sultry kharim
girl in a pleasure palace. Naturally, she gets in over her head and into big trouble.
I took Elara out of her element and gave her new challenges and experiences. We
also got to see a different side to Dalton’s character and learned about his
weaknesses and desires.

When
I wrote A Most Intriguing Temptation,
I introduced readers to Prince Allan. He’s basically the male version of his
sister, Princess Elara—hedonistic, selfish, and utterly wild at times. I had fun
creating the character and enjoyed setting him free in a pleasure palace
completely without limitations. I soon realized that Allan needed a book of his
own, so I wrote A Most Unfortunate Prince.(Several readers also asked me if
Allan’s story would be told, and I was happy to oblige!)

But
before I wrote a word, I knew that Allan was going to have to face the music
for his bad behavior. At the start of the book (yes, right there on page 1)
Allan is banished for his actions stemming from A Most Intriguing Temptation. His father kicks him out into the
real world alone and broke, and he’s forced to make his own way in life.

I
decided to take this carefree, roguish prince and turn his world upside down. I
asked myself: How bad can you make things for him? He has nothing: no food, no
fancy clothes, certainly no job skills, and no real sense of identity. He had
lived a pampered life where everything was handed to him on a silver platter
(literally), and now was in for a rude awakening. I really put the screws to
poor Allan, and at times left him broken, sad, and utterly miserable.

Over
the course of the book, Allan suffers life’s lessons at the hands of his evil
employer and falls in love—twice. The story introduces us to Claudette, a sassy
seamstress who fancies Allan and helps him adjust to the life of a commoner. Once a carefree womanizer, Allan discovers a
secret side to himself, and through his relationship with Claudette, he learns
what is truly important in life. And to round things out, a more settled Elara
and Dalton also appear in the book and help wind up the series.

I enjoyed writing each
of these books. It was fun to create the characters, give them unique adventures,
and complicate their lives—all in the name of love. Although these are historical/fantasy
romances, there’s enough spicy love scenes, adventure, drama, sadness, and
humor to keep readers of all genres entertained and enthralled.

If
you’ve read the trilogy, let me know what you think. What was your favorite
book? Which scenes did you like best? Readers can contact me via the email
address on the “News” page of my site or on social media.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

I hope you all had a happy Halloween! This autumn
issue of the Quill is stuffed with all kinds of goodies. I’m sharing news about
my new Medallion Press historical western, a mini-interview, links to two new
short romances, and writing advice. Let’s get started!

LIES,
LOVE & REDEMPTION

Kelli’s third Medallion Press romance, Lies, Love & Redemption was
released in September. This full-length novel is set on the Nebraska prairie in
1877 and blends a steamy romance with mystery and danger. Here’s the summary:

Lies,
Love & Redemption

Shot and left for dead, Sam Hixton stumbles into a general store on the
Nebraska prairie and collapses into the arms of Cassie Wilcox.

Cassie’s world is turned upside down when the handsome stranger drops into
her life. Sam is another complication she doesn’t need: her business is dying
and her trouble with the townspeople is escalating. Yet she’s determined to
keep the store open — no matter what the cost.

As Sam recovers from his injuries, he hides the truth about his identity and
convinces Cassie to let him work in the store. He’s attracted to her and
admires her independent nature but quickly realizes Cassie’s in way over her
head. They fight their growing attraction, and Cassie questions whether she can
trust her fragile heart to a mysterious stranger. Will he accept her once
he knows about her troubled past?

Cassie resists Sam’s advances and represses her feelings until one fateful
night when they give in to their fiery passion. Together, they work out a plan
to save the store but find their efforts are thwarted—and their lives
endangered—by the locals.

Sam’s secret returns to haunt him and pulls him away just when Cassie needs
him the most. Will he regain her trust when she learns the truth?Cassie has everything invested in the store—can she save it and find true
love with Sam before it’s too late?

Kelli answers a few questions about
the making of Lies, Love & Redemption.

1.
Is this the first time you’ve written about the Nebraska prairie? Did you dig
deep into its past?

Yes, this is the first time I’ve
written about Nebraska, or tackled a western, for that matter. Although I’ve
written a lot of historical romances, the time periods are always different.
I’ve used Medieval (A Most Unusual Princess), Scottish (The Viking’s Witch)and
Colonial (Dangerous Indenture) settings.

I enjoy reading about history and
exploring what life was like back then, so doing the research part of the book
is interesting—and time consuming. I’m always scribbling notes about details I
could use in the book. I never use them all, but adding realistic details helps
draw the reader into the world of the characters, even though it might be very
different from how we live now.

But no matter what the setting, I’m
finding that the basic structure of a romance (two people in love overcoming
obstacles to be together) remains universal, wherever (or whenever) the story
takes place. And I always make sure my historical romances are anything but
boring. I don’t include a lot of “info dumps” or have stuffy characters
lecturing about historical events unless it’s critical to the story.

2.
Having a woman as a business owner is an interesting challenge in this time
period. Tell us about Cassie Wilcox. How did she come to own a general store?
Why is she having trouble with the townspeople? Does she have any form of
support?

Cassie has lived in Holloway all her
life, and her father used to run the store. After a tragic incident, Cassie
inherited the store and she is determined to keep it open, no matter what.
Unfortunately, the town is dying out and the puritanical townspeople don’t
approve of her headstrong and independent ways. They’d like nothing better than
to drive her out.

Until Sam arrives, Cassie’s only
form of support in town is Luke, the sheriff. He’s like a big brother to her
and helps her out—whether she admits she needs help or not.

3.
Was it a good idea for Cassie to hire Sam to work in her store?

Yes and no. From day one, Cassie
keeps telling herself (and Luke) that as soon as Sam is healed, he has to
leave. But the more she says it, the more you wonder: who is she trying to
convince? Cassie does need help at the store, but she’s smart enough to realize
she’s playing with fire when she hires Sam. He’s another complication she
doesn’t need in her life—or so she thinks. Hiring Sam stirs up a whole bunch of
new troubles (and emotions) for Cassie.

1.
If you’re writing a historical romance, do your homework and research the time
period and setting. Find out what was invented when and check any facts you’re
not sure of. (You don’t want your 1570 heroine struggling with a zipper or
talking about events that haven’t happened yet!) Use details relevant to the
era to add an extra dimension of believability to your scenes.

2.
Don’t make your heroes and heroines too perfect. Each character must have a weakness he or she works to overcome. It
could be anything: chronic lateness, unreliability, drinks too much, or refuses
to make attachments. Use this weakness against your character in the story and
show readers how he or she overcomes it.

3.
Make life difficult for your characters. They should have challenges and
obstacles to overcome in the story. Why not give them something from their pasts that comes back to haunt them?
Perhaps a secret is revealed (or is threatened to be), an ex-lover returns, a
love child appears at the worst moment, or a scandal threatens to destroy a
prominent family member. This adds depth and believability to the characters
and also moves the plot forward. What are the consequences of hiding the
secret? What happens when it’s revealed?

In each issue of the Quill, I’ll leave you with writing advice, a prompt, or a short
exercise. Use it for a freewriting warm-up, write a few paragraphs about it for
fun, play the “what if” game, or just muse it over. This month, we’re focusing
on excuses.

Whether
it’s getting organized, cleaning out the garage, or exercising, everyone has
creative reasons (excuses) about why they “just can’t” seem to do something.
How often have you heard (or said): “I
Want to Write, But…” or “One Day, I’ll…”

Let’s face
it, the world is filled with people who like the “idea” of being a writer, but
who don’t actually write anything. These people stare off into space and say,
“One day I’ll write a book.” or “I’ll start writing when...” and they put the
whole thing on hold, waiting for “someday” when they have more time, or when
the kids are out of the house, or they’re retired, or (fill in the blank).

Most of these people never put a word on the page despite all their good
intentions, or if they do start a project, they lose interest in it (it’s too
hard, it was taking too long), and even fewer people see a project through from
idea to published story. But they sure like to talk about it!

These excuses can also apply to published writers
who are facing a block or a burnout. They may spend time talking about “getting
back into writing” or finishing that half-written manuscript, but seem to lack
the drive or motivation to sit in the chair and get to work. (And yes, writing
is hard work!)

You know
you want to write, so have you thought about what’s stopping you? What’s your
excuse for not writing? No ideas? Not enough time? (This one is very common.)
Not sure where or how to start? Afraid your friends or relatives won’t like
what you write?

Whatever
excuses you have, it’s time to address them and work through them—that is, if
you really want to write. Here are two exercises and a helpful tip to
help motivate you and get you writing!

EXERCISE 1: What
are your excuses for not writing? List all the reasons why you can’t write.
Then counter each one with a way you can
write. For example: “I don’t have time.” becomes “I’ll skip watching TV and
write from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.”

TIP:
Set aside an hour a day to write. Not sure you have an hour?
Consider writing on your lunch break or during a commute. Get up an hour
earlier or schedule time after dinner. Make an appointment with yourself and
keep it. You can also write in two blocks of 30 minute sessions.

EXERCISE
2: If you could only write one story in your life, what would it be?
Write it down and describe it in three to five paragraphs. This is the story
that will motivate you to write.

Writing is like anything else you do in
life. Suppose you want to learn how to surf. You won’t learn by talking about
it. At some point, you have to hit the water and get wet.